Virgil van Dijk: Taking on Lionel Messi for Ballon d’Or not on my mind at all

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk holds the PFA Player of the Year trophy in London on Sunday. Photo: Barrington Coombs/PA via AP

LONDON – Virgil van Dijk was crowned the Premier League’s Player of the Year by his peers on Sunday, but the Liverpool defender insists he is not thinking of battling Lionel Messi to win the Ballon d’Or.

Van Dijk will come up against the five-time Ballon d’Or winner when Liverpool travel to Barcelona for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday.

Messi has scored 46 goals this season as Barca have wrapped up another La Liga title with three games to spare, and remain on course for a treble of league, Copa del Rey and Champions League.

“That’s not something that’s on my mind at all,” said Van Dijk at the prospect of rivalling Messi.

“There are currently players walking around in this football world that are out of this world basically, and they’ve been doing it for many years.

“I’m very happy how I perform at the moment, how consistent I’m performing, that I’m fit as well. I think I just need to not look too far ahead.”